Josie Cruzan

Director of choirs Katherine Kouns works on placements for choir students in her office on Nov. 16. “Holiday Spectacular is pretty much on track compared to previous years. We’re right about where we should be. There’s still a lot of work to do, but everyone knows what they’re doing,” Kouns said.

Holiday Spectacular will run from Dec. 6 to Dec. 9 and will be in the auditorium. Though students and teachers involved with the choir department have been rehearsing for some time now, the intensity of rehearsals is picking up.

Director of choirs Katherine Kouns said, “Everybody is just in full speed mode trying to get Holiday Spectacular ready. All of the classes are just working really hard to get everything memorized. We are finally on stage, so we’re putting everybody in their spots and positions, so that’s the majority of what we’re doing right now. We’re just working on getting everything memorized, getting everyone on stage and knowing where they’re going, and just really getting all the final details together.”

Many students are focusing on particular songs that they want to perfect, as well as putting in extra work at home rehearsing both the music and choreography of their songs.

Steven Kelly, New Edition member and senior, said “Right now I’m focusing on the song, “What Christmas Means to Me” mainly because it has a lot of choreography, and I’ve never been extremely comfortable with choreography, and it’s just a fun piece overall.”

One of the biggest changes coming to Holiday Spectacular this year is the redesigning of the stage. The orchestra is no longer on the stage, and bridges have been built connecting the two tiers of risers. Other changes include a song sung by CHS teachers, and “celebrity readers” who will read “The Night Before Christmas.” Celebrity readers include Principal Tom Harmas, Superintendent Michael Beresford and former Principal John Williams.

As for the actual design of the stage, Kouns said “This year we’re wanting the entire stage to feel very homey. The whole thing needs to look like you’re in a house by your fireplace in that very kind of iconic holiday kind of feel, and so this year we’re wood facing the whole stage, so it’ll be almost like we’re dancing on a wood floor, which will be a different kind of look overall on the stage from what we’ve had in previous years. The entire proscenium, which is the border around the stage, is being decorated to look like a fireplace. The whole thing is gonna have brick around it, and there will be extra large stocking hung, and candles, so that it looks like the entire show is kind of inside of a fireplace.”